Singapore Airlines operates a hidden lounge within a lounge in Jakarta (CGK) that I stumbled upon by accident…
Singapore Airlines Lounge – Jakarta
I arrived at Soekarno–Hatta International Airport about two hours before my Singapore Airlines flight to Singapore. I was traveling in first class and wanted to allow plenty of time in case of unforeseen delay…traffic can be very unpredictable, even in the middle of the night, in Jakarta, which is now the world’s largest city.
Traveling without checked baggage, the agent smiled and handed me two boarding passes…I’d be going all the way to London. Maybe the check-in agent just assumed that I knew, but did not mention the lounge. I headed for the Plaza Premium Lounge, which my son and I greatly enjoyed during our two extended layovers in Jakarta last year.
There, I sat down near the coffee bar, ready to start my day with a flat white.
As I was waiting for my coffee, I took a walk toward the other end of the lounge and noticed a Singapore Airlines sign…
Odd, I thought. I grabbed my bag and walked into the lounge. There was no one at the desk. Inside, there was a large seating area (it was not just a small room) and a separate buffet.
Further back, there was a door with a first class sign on it. I went inside and found another large room with seating and a dining area.
The first class section is a lounge within a lounge within a lounge…
I sat down and eventually a waiter came into the lounge, saw I was there, and brought me over a menu:
(I didn’t eat anything…just drank coffee).
There was an obnoxious Australian businessman in the lounge who was yelling into his cell phone. Then his friend entered the lounge and they started gabbing in that most insufferable banter of braggadocious balderdash. So annoying…
In fact, I decided to leave the lounge and head to the gate, hoping to board my flight first. On the way out, I saw the front desk of the Singapore lounge was staffed…I guess I arrived a little too early.
CONCLUSION
If you’re flying Singapore Airlines out of Jakarta, don’t miss the lounge within the lounge…or if you’re traveling first class, the lounge within the lounge within the lounge.
I’m not sure why Singapore operates a separate lounge in CGK (or not, since it is not listed on its lounge page) or why it even offers first class on this short flight…but I’m sure this special area is much more appreciated when the main lounge is crowded.
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